Liquidators are likely to be formally appointed for failed accommodation-only supplier HotelConnect within the next two weeks.
The company ceased trading on June 28 with around 6,000 forward bookings through trade partners and 400 through its consumer-facing website.
It is understood that liquidators will be officially announced following a creditors meeting next week.
An Abta spokesman said: “We expect a liquidator to be formally appointed in the next couple of weeks.”
The company believed to be in the process of being appointed as liquidator would not comment when approached by Travel Weekly.
HotelConnect’s website, which advises that future boookings will have to be repaid directly to hotels, states: “Steps are being taken to place the company into liquidation.”
Industry observers have questionned the cost base of HotelConnect, which specialised in city hotels but had recently started to expand its beach product, while bed banks admitted trading remained “very tough” in the current market.
Youtravel.com sales and marketing director Paul Riches said: “Generally it’s a very tough market and bed banks are being squeezed. The [summer] market has not kicked off.”
For many of the major bed banks July is the key booking month.